Jumon no Murasaki Bara
by 3Tangled-Up-In-Blue3
Summary: In the age of beauty, there is one who stands above all others. The Purple Rose. Yuki, has come to meet her, and with that, has fallen in love with that beauty. And Kamijo with the Princess. Versailles love story. Yuki x Jasmine, Kamijo x Hizaki. NOT YAOI
1. Chapter 1

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter One

In this world of indescribable, unnatural beauty, there is one above all others. She is known as the purple rose. And today, I am going to meet her.

"Would you mind telling me again why you're going to meet this woman?" My closest friend, Kamijo, asked me.

The two of us are nobles, living in the castle of Bordeaux, and today, we are headed to Versailles.

"She's not just a woman. She's the most beautiful person to ever grace this earth, or so I've been told." I corrected him. "And besides, she's the sister of the Princess."

"Royalty or not, what makes you think she'll like you? Let alone let you in her castle."

I was getting rather tired of his pessimism.

"Many visitors come to see her; she gives them their fortune as well."

Kamijo sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Who knows, Yuki, she could be a horrible person, and her castle could be a wreck, and all that you've heard about her could have been a lie."

I drank the last sip of my wine, and angrily pulled my cloak over my shoulders. "Well, I guess we'll just have to go and find out." I grabbed Kamijo by the arm, and dragged him outside to the awaiting carriage.

My name is Yuki. Kamijo and I are nobles, and aristocrats, or at least we hope to be.

I couldn't describe why I wanted to meet this woman so badly; many said she was the most beautiful woman alive, and that she was smart, clever and elegant. However, I don't know her true name yet. Kamijo thinks that I'm mainly going to get my fortune told, but I am really going, because I have a feeling, that meeting her will give me a chance to change the person I've been for so long.

"What do you think she'll be like, Kamijo?" I asked him, trying to hide the excitement in my voice.

"I don't know… what have you heard about her?"

"Everything! Well….nothing negative. I've heard that she's more beautiful than a rose." I muttered to myself. Kamijo was very understanding, most of the time. But I don't think that he understood my motive for wanting to meet this woman so badly. Something was compelling me to do this, and Kamijo just didn't get it quite yet.

"Oh, Yuki… I hope you're right, or else we would have made this trip for nothing…"

The carriage arrived at a beautiful gate, surrounded by flowers and vines. As they approached, the gates opened without any guards.

The house was a beauty itself. The castle walls which would have been thought to be old and wearing away, were beautifully built, and surrounding every corner of the castle were roses of every color. Kamijo and I both marveled in amazement at its beauty.

I turned to him with a smug grin. "What was that comment you made about this place not being beautiful?"

He sighed, and stepped out of the carriage.

We approached the large white doors at the entrance, and I took in a deep breath. Kamijo had asked me many times why I wanted to do this; I and I asked myself as well. Plainly, I couldn't think of a logical answer for that, besides that I just felt like I had to, and that I would benefit from it.

"Well?! Are you going to stand there or open the doors?" Kamijo mocked me, as I constantly had my head in the clouds.

"Hmph." I said, and opened the large doors.

Inside was equally as beautiful as the exterior. Everything was made of white porcelain, and there were scattered vases of different colored roses and flowers all around, at least one on every surface. There were two large staircases carpeted in red, which stretched on the border of the room, and met in the middle. It was quiet, and peaceful. But suddenly, there appeared a figure at the top of the stairs.

There stood a small boy, in a black hat with feathers, and on his hat there was a small golden crest in the form of a rose, signaling that he was of the royal family, the Descendants of the Rose.

Before either of us could bow and introduce ourselves, the young prince ran off screaming into the next room.

"Sisters!!!!! There are intruders at the entrance!!" he cried, and suddenly we heard the sound of a woman's voice. Then, on the staircase a girl, older than the small boy, stepped out. Clad in a long pink dress, with her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders, stood the princess.

Immediately, I dropped to one knee and bowed in respect, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Kamijo, staring in complete captivation at her, and elbowed him in the side to signal that he show respect.

"Dear Princess, forgive us. We do not mean to intrude on such short notice; we're merely here to meet the woman known as the 'Murasaki Bara.'" I said, ignoring Kamijo's protest of 'Maybe you are.'

Her face brightened, it wasn't even angry to begin with. "Of course. I'm Princess Hizaki." She smiled and began to take steps down the staircase. "Please forgive my brother, Teru. He's rather paranoid about our visitors."

We stood up, "It's no problem, Princess. I'm Yuki, and--" I said, and Kamijo, who had suddenly seemed to become much more interested in being here, spoke next.

"I'm Kamijo. We're both nobles from Bordeaux. It's an honor to meet you." He took her hand, and kissed it. The Princess blushed and smiled, pulling her hand back embarrassedly.

"Well, Kamijo, and Yuki, it's very nice to meet you. Which one of you would like to meet my sister?" She asked.

"That would be me, Princess." I spoke up, and she nodded.

"I believe she's outside in the gardens, she always spends time there when the days are nice like today." The Princess smiled. I bowed in respect.

"Thank you, Princess. Kamijo, I hope you don't mind keeping the Princess company while I'm away." I grinned at Kamijo, hinting that I knew exactly why he was so eager to be here with the Princess now. But after my silent teasing, I walked down the hall that led to the gardens outside.

The gardens were beautiful beyond words, filled with roses of every color imaginable. They were grown in rows somewhat like a maze, with fountains and lovely angel statues pointing arrows of love. I could understand why she would want to spend her time out here. I could get lost forever in place like this…

Suddenly, I heard a woman sigh, and turned to see, with her back facing me, a woman staring out into the sky, sitting calmly on a stone bench by a rose bush. From where I stood, I could see that she had very long dark hair, and it was held high on her head and also fell down her shoulders in long curls.

There was no one else in the garden, but me and her, so it had to be the woman I was looking for.

I took in a deep breath, and stepped closer, appearing in front of her silently.

"Excuse me…My Lady, my name is Yuki. Would you happen to be the one that they call the, 'Purple Rose?'?"

She turned to me, looking up, and smiled, a few streaks of light hair revealing one of her eyes. Long eyelashes surrounded by golden makeup and jewels on her pale cheeks, and her long dress in pink, red, gold and black ruffles and feathers. Her hair was held up with a headdress of feathers and a rose. She was even more beautiful than I had ever imagined, and when she spoke, my heart skipped two beats.

"I am. But please, call me Jasmine."


	2. Chapter 2

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Two: The Purple Rose

"Jasmine…" I whispered the name to myself, enjoying the way her name softly passed through my lips.

"Yes," She smiled, hearing the way I said her name. "Jasmine You. And you said your name was Yuki, am I correct?"

"Yes. I'm Yuki."

"I see…. Yuki…" She repeated his name softly, the way he had done to hers. Somehow, I thought my name sounded much better when she said it. She looked up at me and smiled again. "Such a lovely name. You must have been born in the winter time to receive it then, am I correct?"

I couldn't help but grin. "Yes, you're right again."

She stood up. "Well then, Yuki, why is it you've come to see me?"

I froze. I still didn't know how to explain why I'd come here, I just wanted to meet her so badly…

"Wait, I think I can tell." She then began to stare intently at me, and took a few steps around me, studying my disposition and expressions. "Is it… because you felt like you had to? Like your life felt rather odd and empty, and that with my help, you would somehow find a true meaning, while also searching for your true self in this so called world of beauty. Yuki, you have been caught in the spell of the Purple Rose." She said. I couldn't believe it, she knew exactly how I felt, but put it into such beautiful words that I would never be able to find to describe how I felt.

"H-How did you know…?" I stuttered.

"You're entire being shows it. First of all, I noticed it by the way you came looking for me. You wouldn't have gone through the trouble if you didn't have a real reason, and the fact that you asked who I was showed that you hadn't met me before, and were curious about something. And what other reason is there to come to my home and look for me, and not the princess or the young prince?" Her voice was calm and sweet, and as she read my mind completely, I could do nothing but stare in fascination.

"Th-Thank you, my lady. I appreciate you giving me your time…" I said, needing to steady myself from this feeling of having my every though known. I began to walk out of the gardens, when I heard her call after me.

"Yuki, please, why don't you stay here for a few days or so? I'm sure it takes longer to find your purpose than a few minutes."

I turned around silently. And she continued.

"And also, your friend seems like he wouldn't like to leave anytime soon."

I gave her a shocked look. "How did you know about Kamijo--?"

She pointed to something behind me, and I turned to see, of course, Kamijo walking through another part of the gardens with the Princess. I sighed, and ran a hand through my brown hair.

"I'd be honored to stay a while, my lady." I said, finally giving in to this strange but lovely woman, who saw right through me when usually that was about as easy as seeing through a wall of stone. She approached me kindly, and rested a hand on my shoulder, smiling.

"And besides, I'd like to learn more about you, Yuki. You're different than the others who have met me before…" And without another word to me, she began walking off down the end of the garden, into the large castle.

Later that evening, Kamijo and I had been brought to two neighboring bedrooms. As I sat down on the edge of my bed, weary from traveling and the events of the day, I took off my cloak, and undid my shirt, but left it on when I heard a subtle knock at the door.

"May I come in?" Asked the familiar voice of none other than Jasmine You, who peeked in the doorway at me, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to keep you from sleeping, if you'd like, I'll return in the morning—"

"No, please. I don't mind at all. Come in, it's fine." I permitted, and she entered. Her outfit seemed slightly different. The veil of feathers that had been on her shoulders was gone, and replaced with a black shawl, and her hair was let to fall naturally, and I noticed that it had grown all the way down to her waist when it wasn't pinned up like it had been before. Even now she was still almost too beautiful to bear.

"I only wish to speak to you for a moment, if you don't mind." She said, being ever so polite to respect my feelings.

"Please, Lady Jasmine, it's no trouble to me." In fact, just seeing her again had taken my mind off my sleepiness completely."

"Well then," She smiled softly, and sat next to me. I realized that now we were closer to eachother than we had been before, and we could each see each other's faces more clearly, making her even more beautiful. "I appreciate it."

"And I appreciate you're hospitality. It's not very often we get invited to stay at other's castles, especially a castle of the royal family." I thanked her kindly, barely knowing why she would feel the need to thank me, being that she'd already done so much for us that I couldn't find the correct words to show my gratitude.

"So, Yuki… tell me about yourself. I'd like to know more."

I glanced down, not even knowing where to start. "What would you like me to tell you? I'm sure you wouldn't care much for my thoughts on France's economy, or anything of that sort." I laughed, and she smiled in amusement as well.

"I mean… what are your thoughts on life? Or better yet, how do you see things as beautiful? What standards do you have for beauty?"

I had to think about this one even more. "Well… I'm not sure. I've never known how to identify beauty very much, well, not until recently…"

"What happened recently to change your mind?" She asked.

You. I wanted to tell her. Ever since I'd laid eyes on her castle, her garden, and her, I had begun to know true beauty. But there was no way I could tell her that. God, what would she think?

"Yuki? What are you thinking? You can tell me, I promise I wouldn't hold it against you." She said softly and kindly to me.

"Well… I found beauty when I came here. I saw it in your castle, among other things…" I found a way to refrain from the truth.

"What other things?" she asked. Dammit, how does she keep doing this!? I couldn't tell her… could I?

I sighed, combing a hand through my hair and staring across the room, at a small vase of roses.

"The garden was beautiful as well… and also the things I discovered in that garden, were even more stunning…" So she couldn't ask me what I meant, I changed the subject, "Why do you ask about my opinion on beauty? Why nothing else?"

She smiled softly. "You can tell a lot about a person by what they see beautiful. I can see a very good heart in you, Yuki. But you hide your real self in a veil of silence. You have a very pure view of beauty, and trust me, if you let that show, you can find what you seek anywhere."

I glanced down. "I think I already have..."

"What was that?"

Oh, damn! Why had I just thought out loud?! I couldn't refuse to answer any longer, or else she would keep asking.

"I…I…." I sighed. It was useless now. "If you expect my complete honesty…" I said, and she nodded, "The moment I found true beauty here, was when….when…"

"When?" She persisted.

"When I first laid eyes on you."

She seemed surprised.

"Really?" she asked.

"Of course. Don't tell me you've never been told how beautiful you are before?" I questioned.

"No, I haven't. Why would you think so?"

"How haven't you?!" I cried. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. The moment saw you, I knew what beauty was. Your beauty is so true, and you're so modest about it. You have a kind heart, and you're welcoming and open to us. I can't describe it, every bit of you is beautiful, inside and out. Lady Jasmine You, you are the complete human form of beauty." I said, pouring out half my heart to her right then and there.

A smile of pure happiness formed on her face, bigger than all the other smiled she's given me.

"Thank you, Yuki. Thank you very much. You're very sweet, and I appreciate your honesty to me." She gently touched my face, and looked into my eyes in a way that felt like I was looking into the center of a rose. "I should be going. You must sleep, Yuki." She stood up, and walked over to the door.

"Lady Jasmine?" I called softly.

"Yes?" She asked, turning around.

"Goodnight, Jasmine You, Lady of the Roses." I smiled.

She returned the expression, and nodded kindly. "Sleep well, Yuki, noble of the heart."

After she had softly closed the door, I laid back against the bed, smiling more than I ever had before, with my heart feeling as light as a cloud.

I remembered what she told me earlier today. 'Caught in the spell of the Purple Rose.'

I think I rather like the sound of that.


	3. Chapter 3

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Three

We had decided upon midday to meet eachother, the Princess and myself. As I stood at the bottom of the stairs, awaiting her arrival, her younger brother, Prince Teru, was watching me intently.

"What's your name?" he asked me.

"Kamijo."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Your sister."

"Why are you waiting for my sister?"

I sighed heavily. Though he wasn't asking these questions to spite me, they were rather annoying.

"I'm waiting for her, so we can meet and take a walk together." I stated, brushing a lock of hair out of my face.

"My sister agreed to take a walk with you—"

"Teru, why don't you stop asking Kamijo so many questions, and go help Jasmine in the garden, alright?" The Princess herself appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a lovely white dress, with bows and small blue pieces of lace around her arms and neck. She looked beautiful as she walked down the stairs. As she approached me, the moment couldn't have been perfect, until…

"Sister, why is this strange man giving you such an odd look?"

"STRANGE!?!?!?!?!"

That ruined the moment entirely. Hizaki laughed nervously and shooed her brother off into the gardens with Lady Jasmine.

When she saw my expression, she laughed again, and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Oh Kamijo, relax, he didn't mean it…" She giggled.

"Aheheh…" I sighed, and rubbed the back of my head nervously. "Shouldn't we be going? Is there a specific place you'd like to go, Princess?"

She giggled to herself again, her smile was so charming. "There's a lovely little pond down a trail behind the castle. There are flowers and it's very pretty. We could walk there."

"That sounds wonderful," I agreed, "But you don't have to walk and dirty your beautiful dress, we could very easily just take a carriage." I offered.

"Whatever you'd like, Kamijo."

And so, it was decided.

The horse drawn carriage rode down the small path by the pond, and from behind a bush, Prince Teru watched his sister and the 'strange' man who was waiting for her earlier. Because of the distance, Teru had even taken a small pair of binoculars.

"Teru, what are you doing out here?!" A voice behind Teru made him jump. He turned to see one of the housekeepers, named Kaya. She was usually the one who babysat Teru and kept him out of trouble.

"N-Nothing…" Teru lied, hiding the binoculars behind his back.

"Uh-huh. Now tell me why you're out here spying on your sister and her…friend." Kaya questioned.

"B-Because! Well…. Don't you want to know who he is? Sister hasn't had a man that she spent so much time with in years! Please!! You want to know too, right?" Teru whined, but it was very convincing…

"Give me those." Kaya took the binoculars from Teru, and knelt down next to him in the bushes, looking at the two in the carriage curiously.

"So, Princess, how long have you and your sister been living in this castle?" I asked.

"All my life," Hizaki looked out the window of the carriage, the wind blowing a few locks of her blonde hair against her face, "Ever since we were little. Our parents died when we were young. Jasmine was the oldest, and when we came here Teru was only about two years old. He doesn't remember much of our parents… but they were very good people."

She turned to me, and changed her solemn expression to a smile.

"Oh, and I apologize for how he acted to you today. I thought his maid Kaya would have kept him in line, but I guess not." She laughed.

"It's quite alright, princess."

"He's just never really known anyone other than jasmine and myself, so he's a little anxious around newcomers who get close to us. Like you and your friend, Yuki."

"I understand. And I think that Yuki is getting rather close to your sister, as well." I said.

"Yes, that's so wonderful too. Jasmine has kept to herself for most of her life, and she found happiness in helping others. It's so nice to see her happy with another person, and it seems that Yuki really enjoys being with her as well."

I let out a slight laugh, "Really? Yuki's been that way too. I'm his only real friend, because he's never let anyone get close to him."

"It seems they're made for eachother…"

There was a long silence, and we both stared out into the sky. A few moments later, I felt something brush against my shoulder. I turned to see her, resting her head of pretty blonde curls on my shoulder, and she sighed.

"I haven't had a good friend like you in a long time, Kamijo." Her soft voice was almost like a song to me, and the way she said my name just made my heart ache.

"And I you, princess." I murmured. We turned to eachother, and before I knew it, I began to lean closer to her, our lips just inches away when—

"TERU!?!?" Hizaki cried, and I turned to see outside the carriage, the young prince and a woman with dark hair, seemingly hiding behind the bushes.

Hizaki quickly turned away from me, and rushed out of the carriage to approach her brother, and I followed.

"U-uh… sister… we were just…"

"Spying on me and Kamijo!?" She yelled, snatching a pair of binoculars from his hands. "And Kaya! I would expect better from you!"

I put my hand on her shoulder, "Princess, let's go back to the castle."

"Yes, but these two are coming with us!" She scolded, and took Teru's arm, and guided them both into the carriage.

Inside the castle, I sat on the edge of my bed, brushing a hand through my hair. There was a sudden soft knock at the door.

"May I come in?" The princess' voice asked calmly from behind the door.

I opened the door, and saw her, standing in front of me, still in the same lovely white dress as before.

"Princess, I'm sorry about what happened today. I wish I'd known your brother was—"

Suddenly, I felt her soft pink lips brush against mine for a brief moment. When I finally realized what happened, she smiled at me, and said,

"Good night, Kamijo."

And just like that, she walked off down the hall.

I stuttered to call out to her, but I couldn't say anything. But I smiled, happily to myself.

I don't think I would have traded that moment, for all the carriage rides in the world.


	4. Chapter 4

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Four: The Sun Shower

The garden's roses had been profusely in bloom for weeks, giving the castle an even more beautiful look than ever before. It had been only a few weeks since Kamijo and I had arrived here, he'd only tagged along because I convinced him to, and now he was as infatuated with one of the beautiful owners of the castle as I was.

I sat in the garden of Jasmine's castle, bathing in the sunlight. It was almost completely serene and heavenly. It couldn't have been better, until I heard a voice from behind me.

"I'm surprised. You made it out here so early in the morning, even earlier than I usually do."

I turned to see Jasmine, looking beautiful as ever, smiling at me. Her hair was pinned up at one side, and the light pink and purple dress she wore made her almost blend in with the garden of roses. But her beauty outshined all of them by miles.

She sat on the bench next to me, and touched my hand. Just her touch alone made my heart skip a beat. She turned and plucked a rose from the garden, and stared into the endless folds of its lavender petals. I always wondered how she made her garden so beautiful, and with so many vibrant colors. Never once had I seen a purple rose before now. I smiled. It was things like this that I liked to call her, "Jasmine magic."

"It's not magic," She said, reading my mind like she always did, "It's just simply care and time that makes beauty. If all you want is beauty, you'll never get it. You have to let beautiful things find you." She turned to me, her pink lips pulled back into a happy smile, "The same thing goes for love. If you're open to it, love will find you."

I could feel her breathing on my face, from the closeness. We shared one short, blissful kiss, before we heard a giggling sound from the bushes.

"Teru, come out of the bushes!" The maid Kaya scolded, and pulled Teru away from hiding behind a rosebush.

Jasmine and I giggled, and saw that the princess and Kamijo were also taking a stroll through the garden. In the short space between our bodies on the bench, our fingers were entwined lovingly. Her decorated nails and rings pressed coolly into my skin, and I felt her lean her head of dark curls against my shoulder, and I leaned my head back against hers.

"You know something, Yuki?" She said, turning to me.

"Hm?"

"I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am with you now, Yuki. You're kind, and intelligent, and sweet… And I think I'm falling in love with you."

I turned to her and smiled.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"I feel exactly the same way." I turned to face her, leaning our faces closer again. But then, I heard a strange noise. Jasmine and I both looked up to see dark clouds slowly rolling in.

"Oh dear, it seems rain is coming…" she said. There we felt a few small drops, and then suddenly, a deluge of raindrops began falling. We heard the princess squeal in shock, and her and Kamijo both rushed to safety under a small tree. I grabbed Jasmine's hand, and tried to rush her inside, but she was staring into the sky with an expression I'd never seen on her before. It almost seemed like…despair.

"Jasmine, we should go inside."

She turned to me. "Why? It's only rain." She looked up again, with that same look in her eyes, "No one ever died from rain…"

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew water a birdbath had been holding straight towards her, splashing it against her face.

"Jasmine!" I cried, but she looked up, laughing.

"Ha ha ha!!!" she laughed, wiping her hair back from her face. I couldn't help but start laughing as well.

We heard the princess and Kamijo begin to laugh with us as well, but then water that had been held by the tree's leaves spilt over and landed right on their heads.

Surprisingly enough, this shower of rain was filled with more happiness and amusement than any other I'd ever experienced. Hizaki and Kamijo made their way out of their hiding spot to reunite with Jasmine and I, but as they walked, the princess fell, landing in mud.

Kamijo turned to help her up, but instead, she pulled him down into the mud with her.

I started laughing, and walked over towards them with Jasmine next to me. Kamijo picked up a handful of mud, and threw it in the princess's direction, but she moved, sending the mud towards Jasmine. But Jasmine also ducked, and the mud hit me square in the face.

Jasmine turned around, and laughed, while wiping the mud off my face and trying to apologize.

"O-Oh! Y-Yuki, I'm s-sorry!" She said between laughs.

"It's alright..." I said, and swiftly picked up a handful of mud, and slapped it across her face and hair.

"Ah!" She cried, but started to laugh hysterically with the rest of us. Oh, but the fun wasn't over yet. In fact, about two seconds later, Jasmine tripped over her dress, dragging the both of us down in the mud, along with Kamijo and the princess.

Even louder than the storm, a chorus of laughter rang through the rain and the winds, making such an unexpected sun shower a pleasant surprise.

All four of us tried to sneak inside, leaving a long trail of muddy water into the castle.

"Wait right there!" we heard the maid Kaya's voice yell, and Jasmine and I rushed off into the other room before Kamijo and Hizaki had a chance to blink.

"My goodness! My princess, what on earth have you done to your dress!?" Kaya scolded.

Hizaki giggled. "Well…you see, Kaya... there was some mud… and some rain… and…" she burst into a fit of giggles, and Kamijo led her away into the next room, leaving Kaya with an angry scowl on her face.

Meanwhile, Jasmine and I were trying to stifle our laughter, with our hands over our mouths. It didn't work.

"I should have known!" Kaya said, finding the two of us. "No commoner is to be trusted here! You and your friend have changed the young Princess's judgment, making her vulnerable to some noble to sweep her off her feet like that. The same for you, my Lady Jasmine."

"Oh, Kaya, we were just having some fun!" Jasmine smiled.

"Hmph." She said, walking away, leaving the two of us to laugh again.

Later that night, when we had all gotten cleaned off, I left Jasmine's room after saying goodnight. Hearing her sigh, I turned back to see Jasmine, staring solemnly out the window, with the same expression as before in her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Five: The Masquerade Ball

"I don't care what they say; the entire idea is so juvenile." I said, as Kamijo prattled on to me about the masquerade ball that was to occur tonight.

"What do you mean? It's going to be great! There'll be music, and dancing and it'll be fun!" Kamijo grinned, as he imagined it.

"Kamijo, sometimes I really don't understand why you—"

"Oh Yuki, don't tell me you're not excited about the ball tonight!" The Princess peeked out from the corner.

I sighed. Was everyone in this castle out to get me?

"No, I'm rather not."

Suddenly, she and Kamijo both stood in front of me, with strange glints in their eyes.

"Yuuukkkiiiii~ Tell the truth! You're really nervous about having to dance with Lady Jasmine!" They squealed.

"Eh!" I turned around, "My reasons for not wanting to go are my business." I began to walk off down the hall, when they each grabbed me by the arm.

"You're not going anywhere! We'll teach you how to dance properly with a lady!"

"YUKI! HIZAKI! LET ME GO!" I cried, but they quickly dragged me off down the hall without another word.

"Take two more steps to the side, there, that's it, now you- OW! Dammit Yuki that's the third time you've stepped on my foot!" Kamijo yelled, as he had spent the last hour trying to teach me how to dance. Needless to say it was worse that HE was my teacher.

"Well usually the lady does not lead the man! So, LET GO OF ME!" I smacked Kamijo across the head, and he backed away.

"Well, then! I apologize oh great master Yuki that I don't possess the proper height and figure of a lady!" Kamijo scoffed. "And besides, your dancing skills leave much to be desired. How very catastrophic, Yuk-"

"SHUT UP!" I reached to punch the fool, but he swiftly moved out of my way, "Bloody hell!" I cried, and fell over onto my face.

Damn the idiot.

"And also, you must be quick and light on your feet to dance, Yuki. Now, would you like to try again?"

"Damn you and your pathetic dancing lessons! I'll learn on my own!"

"Oh no you don't! You're staying here until you learn! SO GET BACK HERE!"

Before I knew it, Kamijo and lady Hizaki had grabbed me.

Two more hours of these dancing lessons were like two years, but I did eventually develop the rhythm that I needed.

"There you go! You're getting it right!" Kamijo beamed a bright smile.

"Kamijo…."

"Yes?"

"Speak of this to anyone, and I will kill you."

"Oh Lady Jasmine, you look absolutely beautiful!" Kaya cried. "That Yuki is a lucky man to dance the night away with you!~"

"Thank you, Kaya. You look lovely yourself." Jasmine pulled on her mask that sprouted black feathers. Jasmine was used to walking around in dresses with large ruffles and such, but just for tonight she had worn something even more elaborate than usual.

"Shall we go?" Hizaki said, holding on her white mask.

"Yes, let's go."

"Jasmine told me that we'd meet in the middle of the dance floor." I said, as Kamijo and I strapped on our masks. Mind was black rimmed with gold and blue, matching my outfit.

As we stepped into the open ballroom, we were greeted by a million brilliant lights and dancers. On the sides of the large double staircase there were orchestras playing an elegant melody.

"It's amazing…" Kamijo said, mesmerized. The room was elaborately decorated with ribbons of black and gold, and the dancers on the floor all had outfits that corresponded perfectly to the decorations. The black and white gowns of the ladies, with bows and lace that all seemed to match eachother. And the men's outfits fit the elegance of the ladies dresses, as if each couple dressed to match the other to every inch of clothing.

"Who don't you go look for the princess, I'll catch up with you later." I said, motioning for Kamijo to go, and he did. As his black and red outfit slowly disappeared out of view, I made my way to the center of the dance floor. The few wallflowers glanced at me with sparkling eyes, but I didn't meet their gazes. My eyes would forever be set on only one woman, the lovely and beautiful Jasmine You, Lady of the Purple Roses.

In the center star of the dance floor, I waited for her, softly swaying to the violin in the background.

"Enjoying the music?"

I spun around to see Jasmine, in all her glory and beauty, smiling at me. Her outfit was made of ruffles of black and gold, with red roses dotting her sleeves and around her neck. Her mask was black and gold, with black feathers from the top. Through the mask I could still see her beautiful eyes.

"My lady… you look exquisite." I took one of her hands, and kissed it.

She smiled. "You look stunning as well, Yuki."

As the music began to change, the light in the room shifted, and most of it seemed to be only on us. All eyes turned to face us, and as I must have looked shocked, Jasmine tried to stifle a laugh.

"It appears they're expecting us to dance."

Oh no. Here's where all this afternoon's work must be tested. I tried to shrug off my look of distress, but of course Jasmine did notice it. Jasmine notices everything. "Yes, my lady. Will you give me the pleasure of having this dance?" I bowed, holding out my hand. I felt her hand, with her decorated nails and rings, slip into mine.

We looked at eachother, and smiled. Perhaps this night would prove to be more enjoyable than I had thought.

"Come, come Princess!" Kamijo called, taking the Princess's hand and running to a small gazebo that was surrounded by white roses, outside the back of the ballroom. Her pure white dress matched the roses perfectly, and the soft violin that echoed from inside the ballroom set the calm mood.

"Kamijo, this place is beautiful…" Hizaki said, mesmerized.

"It certainly is, princess. But nothing here compares to the beauty here in front of me." I said, and she turned to me, blushing at the compliment.

"Oh Kamijo… you're so kind. Don't be so…" She trailed off, and Kamijo took her hands.

"Modest? Because that my princess, was an understatement. You are much more a goddess than a simple beauty." He caressed her cheek.

"Kamijo…"

"Princess."

They shared a kiss, and Hizaki felt Kamijo's body shift for a moment. When she opened her eyes from the kiss, she saw that Kamijo was holding something, and was slowly beginning to drop to his knees. Hizaki could not have spoken, for Kamijo began to speak first, with one soft question.

"My dear Princess Hizaki, will you be my bride?"

Jasmine and I stood near a table, quietly sipping wine. The dance had gone perfectly, and the two of us had become the life of the party in no time at all. We smiled at eachother, and held our hands, hidden under the table.

"JASMINE! JASMINE! JASMINE!"

"YUKI! YUKI! YUKI!"

The two of us turned our heads to face the origin of the noise. And just the same time, Kamijo and Hizaki rushed into the ballroom.

"What on earth is the matter?" I cried.

"What's gotten into you two?" Jasmine added.

"WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!" They squealed.

Hizaki held out her hand, with a lovely diamond rings shaped like a rose on it.

Kamijo approached me with a huge grin.

"Aren't you happy for us?"

I smacked him over the head.

"Wh-What was that for?"

"FOR NOT TELLING ME EARLIER THAT YOU WERE GOING TO PROPOSE, YOU BLOODY IDIOT!" I screamed.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Kamijo beamed. And I sighed. It would be cruel of me to ruin this moment for the two of them.

So I watched as the two of them spoke happily to eachother, holding hands and kissing, and I thought…

Kamijo definitely deserves this.

Once the two of them had left, off to plan about the wedding, the party returned to its former atmosphere. But suddenly, a voice broke through the crowd.

"Now that the ball is coming to an end, may we have the honor of the lovely Lady Jasmine, to grace us with a song?"

I glanced to the top of the stairs, where a masked man, the Chancellor of the town who had attended, stood. He was asking Jasmine to perform…a song?

She blushed and smiled. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly. It's been much too long…."

"Oh please, my Lady. It would be an honor." The man entreated her, and I have her a nod of encouragement.

"Alright…" She let out a sigh, but smiled still.

She approached a large grand piano that was positioned at the top of the staircase, and sat down. Just before she began to play, she seemed deep in thought, with a look on her face I'd seen before. That same look she's given towards the sky in the rain the days before.

"What can one ask for from the light? The same, too, for the darkness. If I were to lead myself forward, letting foolish and untainted things reside on my fingertips, the place I'd always arrive at, at the end  
would be atop the steel tower that pierces through all. What I gained were the dreams from some place in time, even though these frigid thoughts cling on stubbornly to the streets I look down upon."

She played the piano softly, her elegant hands moving gracefully across the keys.

"Strength comes to us both, slowly, hazily, as we wield these blades in our hands. The heat I felt with my outstretched hands was the gust of a gentle someone. These feelings I abandoned will be my wandering song someday. And I stirred up my waning emotions so that these buildings and days will not fade out of sight.

"Losing my way back home, to where shall I look to tomorrow? Without letting go of the palm, I gripped with my hand sometime ago. Tears of blood fall, and I shall stand amidst narrow chasms of indigo. I can no longer see the back of that figure that passed me by. Only that it's lying ahead of me. Lying ahead of me…"

The song was beautiful, indeed, but I think the sorrowful lyrics made all of us feel that something might have been wrong.

"Losing my way back home, and now, I am here. An abyss of jasper, the end of gold, trembling next to the darkness of night… Losing my way back home, to where shall I return to today? I'm afraid of even knowing what the moon has hidden in its shadow. Tears of blood overflow, and I shall soar skywards upon wings of indigo. Crawling on the grounds of a world razed by flames and just crying out savagely. Crying out savagely…."

Her song ended, and her hand stopped over the keys of black and white. She didn't look up for a few moments, and what frightened me the most, was that that expression of pure sorrow that I'd seen on her face before, had not disappeared.

At least, not until she looked up. Then, the life and happiness returned to her face, and the room filled with applause. When she stood, she waved happily and approached me. She took my hand and gave me a smile. Her smiles never seemed fake, but in contrast to her previous song, it almost seemed forced.

But I dare not say a word to make the situation worse. So, I took her hand and we left the ball.

In the carriage ride back to the castle, it was silent, almost awkward. Our fingers were entwined, but neither of us seemed to acknowledge it. All I could look at the entire ride was how that same look of sadness she had before, never left her face.

Not even once.


	6. Chapter 6

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Six: A Special Day

"OOOHHH! Princess, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Kaya cried happily, seeing Hizaki in her wedding dress.

Hizaki turned around, smiling and fixing the butterfly shaped barrettes in her hair, "Really? Thank you… I'm just so excited! Kamijo and I have been waiting for this day so long!"

As Jasmine and I entered the room, Hizaki turned to us.

"Oh Hizaki," Jasmine began, and ran up to hug her sister, "You're a vision in white. Kamijo's a very lucky man."

I approached her as well, and handed her a white rose, "You look beautiful, princess. Kamijo hasn't stopped talking to me about how lovely you are." She blushed, and put her hand to her cheek.

"Oh…he's probably being modest…" She turned and looked at herself in the mirror.

"I think not, princess. But even his descriptions cannot fit how beautiful you look today. Kamijo is very lucky to have you." I added, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, come here, I'm going to do your makeup." Jasmine insisted, and went to work on Hizaki, as I stepped out of the room.

"Oh Yuki! What should I say to her? Sh-Should I compliment her? Or put the ring on her first? Or should I just not say anything at all…? Yuki what should I do!" Kamijo ranted to me nervously, so much that I had to grab his shoulders and make him shut up.

"Kamijo! Calm down! The ceremony hasn't even started yet!" I shook him.

He laughed, and ran a hand through is hair. "Sorry…I'm just a little nervous…"

I gave him a look. "Really? I didn't notice." I chuckled.

"Hey!" He playfully punched me in the arm, and I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, you're lucky. Because I can't give you a black eye on your wedding day." I laughed, and so did he.

"So…when are you going to ask Jasmine?"

"Ask her what?"

"To marry you, you idiot!" Kamijo hit me on the head.

"Wha-What? No, I couldn't… I wouldn't know how to ask her…" I said, and Kamijo gave me an I-don't-believe-you look.

Suddenly, to my luck, Jasmine appeared in the doorway.

"Yuki, come here for a second!" She smiled at me, and beckoned me out to her with one of her specially decorated fingers.

I grinned at Kamijo, "Well, my lady needs me. Good luck, Kamijo." I put a hand on his shoulder, and then followed Jasmine out the door.

"Hizaki's all ready. The wedding's starting, we should go." She took my hand, and we stepped out into the garden where the wedding as being held, and took our seats among the rest of the kingdom.

Music played as Hizaki walked gracefully down the aisle, to Kamijo who was awaiting her. With the veil over her face, it was hard to see the beaming smile of excitement on her face.

As she approached Kamijo, they took hands, and the priest spoke.

"The groom has written his own vows, and would like to share them today."

Kamijo turned to her, and grinned. I remembered how he recited these lines to me multiple times to memorize them.

"Dear Princess… I will save you. You are my piece, so please stay by my side. From now on…Inside my arms, you will trust me. So please stay in my eyes. I want to hold you even tighter with these hands and protect you. Surely one day without fail you'll be able to become who you want to be. Why did people forsake their wings? Why do people embrace sorrow? Why are people able to be so kind? Through your tears that dyed this heart, through your warmth that spreads in these arms, you taught me the answers…Dear My Princess…" Kamijo finished perfectly, and smiled.

Hizaki smiled in return, and the priest began his speech.

"Kamijo, do you take Princess Hizaki to be your lovely wife?" He asked.

"I do."

"And Princess Hizaki, do you take Kamijo to be your husband?"

"I do." She answered.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kamijo pulled back the princess' veil, and kissed her passionately.

When they pulled back, the crowd burst into applause and cries of congratulations.

Jasmine and I grinned at eachother, and stood up to greet Kamijo and Hizaki happily. Jasmine hugged her sister and Yuki embraced me as well. Then Hizaki, with an excited look, motioned for everyone to gather behind her, as she clutched the bouquet of white roses loosely in her hands.

"One, two, three!" She counted, and threw the roses up in the air behind her, as many women cried out and squealed as it flew towards them. There were a few loud gasps, and I turned to see, my Jasmine, clutching the bouquet in her hands.

She winked at me, and Kamijo and Hizaki burst into an uproar of happy notions, and the party following the wedding began.

There was music, and food of the most elegant sorts. Kamijo and Hizaki were dancing happily with eachother, and Jasmine and I sat with Kaya and the young prince Teru.

"So…sister married that strange man?" Teru asked innocently, and unfortunately, Kamijo was in hearing range.

"STRANGE!" He cried, and everyone laughed.

Hizaki put her hand on Kamijo's, shoulder, trying to stifle her giggling in time to comfort him, but the circumstances were too perfect, and she burst into laughter along with the rest of the guests.

While the uproar of laughs was consuming the crowd, I took Jasmine's hand, and led her back out to the spot in the garden where the actual marriage had taken place, not far from the rest of the guests. We stood under an arch of white roses, and I took her hands.

"Is something wrong, Yuki?" She asked me.

"No...Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all, actually…" I said, looking down as my hands shook.

"Then what's making you so anxious?" She smiled slightly.

I sighed, looking back at the others, where Kamijo and Hizaki were sitting down, "I'll show you…" I turned back to the others, "Hey Kamijo!" I called, and he turned to see me, along with Hizaki and a few others, "Watch this!" I took Jasmine's hands again, and dug my hand into my pocket.

"Y-Yuki, what's going on?"

"Jasmine, I love you, with all my being, and nothing will ever change that. You understand that, right?"

"Of course I do, I love you too…" Jasmine answered.

I grinned softly, "Then…" I knelt down, and took out the box in my pocket, opening it up to Jasmine, to reveal a ring shaped like a rose, just like Hizaki's, "Will you marry me?"

The crowd behind us gasped, and I looked up to Jasmine, who had her hand clasped over her mouth.

"O-Of course, of course I'll marry you, Yuki. Of course!" She cried happily, and I slipped the ring onto her finger. I stood up, and we embraced.

I heard cheers from behind us, and Kamijo's hand on my shoulder. "You finally did it!" He said, "Were you planning this the whole time?"

"I was! I even made sure to act like I had no idea what you were talking about, when you asked me earlier." I smiled, and Kamijo hugged me, like I had when he had proposed. I turned to Jasmine, who also had her sister in her arms.

"Oh Jasmine! I'm so happy for you!" She squealed. And Jasmine and I took hands, wandering back into the crowd in a flood of congratulations.

Later that night, Jasmine and I sat in the garden together, staring at the stars. I felt her head of dark curls rest on my shoulder, and her ringed hand clasped around mine.

"Yuki…promise me something..." I heard her mutter, as she lifted her head up and faced me.

"Of course, Jasmine. What is it?"

"I want you to promise me… that you'll always love me. And that you'll promise that nothing will ever come between us, that nothing will ever keep us from eachother. Yuki, promise me... that no matter how high the walls may be, let's surpass them together."

"Of course, Jasmine. I promise." I said, looking in her deep brown eyes, worried at the distressed look on her face that I'd seen many times before.

"Yuki…"

"My Lady... Lady Jasmine of the Purple Roses, I promise you, I will not let anything come between us. Not even death… I promise you."


	7. Chapter 7

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Seven: Sickness

"Yuki, I promise, I'm fine." Jasmine said to me, while I sat on the edge of her bed.

"Even if you are, I'm not going anywhere until Kaya says so." I replied, Kaya serving as the castle's doctor as well.

"Yuki-"

"Don't. I'm not leaving." I said sternly. Jasmine had gotten sick the next day or so after Kamijo and the princess' wedding. She claimed it was nothing, and that she was just tired, but I didn't believe her. She would probably hide the true severity of an illness to me, so it would not be a burden.

Kamijo and Hizaki entered the room.

"How are you feeling?" The princess asked softly.

"I'm not sick. I'm just tired, I'll need a day to rest, and that's all." She continued persisting.

"Yuki, we have to leave soon." Kamijo pressured me. We were selling our old castle to come live here with the princess and Jasmine, and had to return for a day or two to meet the new owners.

"I'm not leaving until Jasmine's better." I said.

"Yuki, we need to go!"

"No!" I scowled, and Kamijo backed off.

Jasmine slept for a while, and I sat at her bedside. It was already a few hours past the time when we had to leave, when Kaya walked in.

"Oh, Yuki, I didn't think you'd still be here." She said calmly.

"Yes, well, I just want to make sure that Jasmine's okay."

"Oh…" She looked down, and went over to Jasmine's bedside as well, seeing as she was awake, "Yuki, if you would step outside for a moment, I'm going to speak with Lady Jasmine about her well being..."

"You can tell me, can't you?" I asked, confused.

"Yuki, it's fine. Give us a minute." Jasmine said softly, touching my hand. I sighed, and agreed reluctantly.

I sat outside the room for around ten minutes, hearing the murmur of voices. I couldn't make out the words, but Kaya's voice sounded distressed, and Jasmine's pleading.

Soon, Kaya emerged from the room, and said I could come back inside.

"So, is she okay?" I questioned.

Kaya sighed, and looked at the ground, at Jasmine, and at me, "Yes, Yuki. She's fine. She's just been having some trouble sleeping lately and needs rest. No need to worry."

I let out a relieved breath. "Really? That's wonderful."

Kaya smiled, and looked at Jasmine again. "Yes."

"Now you can go with Kamijo." Jasmine said kindly, "Please, Yuki. I...I'll be right here when you get back." She gave me a pleading smile, and I couldn't refuse.

"Of course, my love. You must get some sleep now. I'll be back here to see you before you know it." I kissed her forehead, and she leaned her head against the pillow as I left the room.

"My Lady… Are you sure about this?" Kaya asked with a sad look on her face.

"Yes. Yuki… it'd be better for him to go with Kamijo today." Jasmine replied.

Kaya sighed and looked down, "Better for him…right…"

Kamijo and I sat in the carriage as the ride seemed to take longer with the awkward silence. We both stared out the window, and I turned back to watch the view of Jasmine's beautiful castle slowly fade out of sight.

"It's okay, Yuki. We'll be back in two days." Kamijo said, trying to comfort me, as it was apparent that I was unsettled being away from Jasmine. I said nothing back to him, and he frowned and sighed. I knew he was going to miss the princess, but I doubted he could understand how I felt, as to me leaving felt like I was abandoning Jasmine in her time of need.

"Yuki, Kaya said she's fine. What could you be worried about?" He asked, with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Well it's not… it doesn't seem right to leave the woman you love, home sick." Gazing out the window again so I didn't have to face the look I knew he was giving me, I sighed. I heard Kamijo sigh too from behind me.

After some time, it became dark outside and we were starting to lose our way. The lantern at the head of the carriage was slowly flickering, and we pulled over into a small town.

Our driver, Juka, informed us that it was too dark to see and that we'd have to rest there for the night.

He directed us to a small inn where we would stay the night. Kamijo had made a comment to me about the low quality of the place, but I found it to be actually quite pleasant. It was a small, almost cottage like place, but the woman who owned the place—her name was Marylin- was very kind to us. Kamijo and I had separate rooms, and I was sitting by candlelight when I discovered a note in my pocket. I was from Jasmine, and she must have slipped it into my pocket before we left. I opened it and read it to myself.

_Dearest Yuki,_

_I don't know when you're going to find this note, but I'd hope it would be sometime soon after your departure, so there is no confusion with my statements. First of all, I miss you already. I would have tried to accompany you on this journey, as we are both lonely apart from eachother, but I'm afraid I'm much too tired to travel, though I would gladly go with you if Kaya had permitted me to. But alas, we cannot always get what we want. I know you must be rather upset without me not there, so I managed to write you a short poem._

_Amorphous~_

_I know that it's an illusion,  
Beyond the crumbling walls of sand,  
to the sea of denouement that spilled forth_

_The distance we've drifted…  
wouldn't allow that history to sleep,  
it pared me down like driftwood,  
but at last became gentler_

_I shut my eyes and sailed a boat,  
started rowing toward the unilluminated darkness,  
to the sea of accumulating quarrels_

_Ah…since when, I wonder?  
A fragment of my unshakable dream…  
you were there within it_

_The world goes on sinking, enveloped by the gentle waters,  
I let you in unto the very bottom of my heart, the deep darkness_

_The expansive ocean…joined with the endless sky,  
carry with them tranquil days, a silent wind_

_Swept away by the breaking waves,  
Ever drowning in undying love,  
I want to sink into memory this way,  
Into the sea where you sleep_

_With all the love that my heart possesses,_

_Jasmine~_


	8. Chapter 8

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Eight:

I folded the note Jasmine had given me, and set it down on the desk in front of me. I stared at the flickering flame of my candle, until I heard a knock at the door.

"May I come in?" I recognized it as Marylin's soft voice from outside the door. I agreed, and she entered, holding a candle and a cup of tea, "I thought you might like some tea. I gave some to your friend in the next room, Kamijo, was it?" She smiled.

Her kindness reminded me of Jasmine.

"You look upset. Forgive me for prying, but would you mind telling me what's wrong?" She asked, handing me the warm cup of tea. I took a small sip, and realized it was Jasmine tea.

"It's...it's nothing at all. Thank you for the tea." I answered, turning my face so hopefully she couldn't see the sorrow across my features.

"You know, a lot of people have come to stay here overnight. I've met and spoken to them all, and you know something? I may be lonesome and meddlesome, but I'm not stupid. Even if you wouldn't like to talk about it, I know there's something wrong." She put her candle on my table and picked up the slowly melting one on my desk, and held it up to my face, "It's written all over you. You're… lonely and upset. About what? Probably Jasmine."

I looked up. How did she know about Jasmine?

"Oh, relax. Lady Jasmine and I are very good friends!" She pulled a chair forwards, and sat down.

"Really?"

"Would I tell you we were if we weren't?" She laughed at me, as if the question was completely ridiculous.

I chuckled a bit, and looked back up at her, "So how do you know eachother?"

"Well, when Lady Jasmine's parents were still alive, they had just moved to the castle. Jasmine wanted to go on an adventure, and because she was allowed to leave the castle, she took a carriage to go to Paris. But, she got lost on the way, much like you did. She ended up here, and stayed for the night until she could find her way back. We sent eachother letters for many years, and recently she began to mention you."

I was about to ask 'Really?' again, but she gave me a look that silently repeated her last answer to that question, "What did she say about me?" I asked.

"What did she say? Practically everything! I might know more about you than you do!" She giggled, "She first described you as 'a kind hearted noble with dark eyes.' In the manner she wrote about you, I could tell instantly that it would soon be love."

"That's…" I started, but couldn't finish, as there were no words to describe how knowing Jasmine felt the same about me as I did about her, even in those first early days of our knowing eachother.

"She sent me updates practically every waking moment about your relationship. I tell you, I had never known her to be happier than she was with you, so for that, I thank you, Yuki." Marylin flashed me a smile, and a nod.

"Well…it's been my pleasure to be with her."

"I don't know if you know much about Lady Jasmine from before you met her, though… She actually was such a poor soul when her parents had died. Her family was the light of Jasmine's life for the longest time. When her parents died, she took the responsibility of taking care of her siblings. I visited her at the castle a few times to check on her well being, as sometimes her letters often short and sad, and I was worried for her.

"When I got there, the castle was beautiful as ever, inside and out. But Lady Jasmine had spent so much time making the world around her beautiful, to keep her mind off the sorrows of the world. She told me that her parents had taken her happiness with them to the grave. This troubled me deeply, and I tried to cheer her up, as did her siblings. Our letters had stopped altogether, until the day she met you." She noticed the surprised and sympathetic look on my face during her tale, and continued on a happier note, "But, I could tell immediately that you had returned the beauty and life back into her. She loves you more than you could ever know, Yuki."

"More than I could ever know, hm?"

With that, Marylin left my room, as I blew out the flickering light of my candle.

Kamijo and I left that morning, to quickly go to our old castle and meet the new owners, and to see the place off.

When we arrived, it seemed so old and lonely, compared to the beauty that was Jasmine's castle. The couple that now owned the place was standing, well dressed, out on the front steps.

Their names were Mana and Gackt, it surprised both me and Kamijo how darkly dressed they were.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." I said, shaking both their hands, and Kamijo did the same.

"Yes. I'm Gackt, and this is my wife, Mana."

Mana did not speak, not one word. She just gave looks up to her husband when it seemed she wanted to say something, and whispered into his ear once or twice.

While we spent some time to talk to them, Kamijo noticed my impatience. With Marylin's words in mind, I was so eager to return to Jasmine.

"Relax, we'll be back soon." Kamijo would often say under his breath to me, but I remained nervous.

And even more unfortunately, we were forced to stay the night at our old castle, because it was again too dark to ride home.

But eventually, Kamijo and I finally were able to leave the place. I made sure that we stopped at a florist on the way back, and I bought a bouquet of Jasmine's favorite flowers, a bundle of light purple and white roses.

The carriage ride back felt like an eternity, and each bump of the carriage was even to the pounding of my heart. When the view of her castle came into view, my heart practically jumped out of my chest. Kamijo urged me to stay inside the carriage until we stopped and parked, but I was just too excited!

I leapt out of the carriage while it was still in motion, and burst into the castle. It was quiet, as it usually was on the mornings, and the servants stared at me, as if our return home was unexpected or unwelcome.

Clutching the flowers in my hand, I passed Kaya in the hall.

"Master Yuki, wait—" She called after me as I rushed past her, and I heard Kamijo call the same thing as he entered the castle after me.

I found Jasmine's room in an instant, and opened the door, to see Hizaki standing there, fixing the covers on the bed. Then it hit me, Jasmine usually went out to the gardens every morning.

"Yuki!" Hizaki gasped, her voice so surprised, and she shut her mouth immediately after saying my name, as if a tightness in her throat made her unable to say anything more.

"Hello, princess. Where's Jasmine? She must be out in the gardens." I said to myself, and turned to go out the door, when Hizaki grabbed my sleeve.

I heard Kamijo's footsteps behind me, as he finally caught up, and he noticed it before I had.

"My dear princess, there's tears in your eyes. What's the matter?" He asked.

Hizaki lowered her head, and then tried to meet my eyes, as tears poured down her cheeks.

"I don't understand, princess, what is—"

"Y-Yuki…" She started, "My sister..." She stopped herself, as if not knowing what to say, "Yuki…Jasmine is dead."


	9. Chapter 9

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Nine: Promise

I felt the bouquet of flowers slip from my hands, and it hit the ground with a soft thud that resounded in my ears like a strong thunderclap, scattering purple petals across the floor.

"..D-Dead…?" The word slipped through my lips, as if I couldn't control myself from saying it.

Hizaki opened her mouth to say something, but began to choke back tears, and cupped her mouth, as tears spilled over and rolled down her porcelain cheeks. She kept her hands on my shoulders, like she needed the leverage or she would simply collapse. And judging by the pain on her face, she probably would.

"Y-Yuki….I-I'm so sorry…."

I touched her hands, and pulled then gently off of me, "You…"

Kamijo saw the look on my face before Hizaki did, and tried to interrupt me from what I was going to say, but I pushed him away.

"You horrible people! How could you expect me to believe such a terrible thing! I saw Jasmine two days ago! This is an atrocious thing to make up! Jasmine is probably in the garden waiting for me, like always!" I stormed out of the room, as Kaya and everyone I passed in the hall looked upset, and eager to stop me, or just afraid of my anger.

I opened the doors to the gardens, and the first thing I noticed was the gray clouds that had suddenly formed over the sky, but nevertheless, I went out looking for Jasmine.

I followed the path we usually took through the garden, and expected to find her in the spot where we always sat, but she wasn't there. But lying across the marble bench was a small purple rose. That was Jasmine's way of saying, "Come and find me~" As she had played this joke on my before. I took the rose in my hand, and went through the labyrinth of the garden's rosebushes.

I had memorized the layout of the gardens before, and travelled through every inch of it, without finding her. The dread in the back of my mind crept up, making my heart beat faster and a cold sweat ran down my neck.

"Jasmine?" I called out, and was answered by the sound of thunder, as rain began to fall upon me. But I started to run, retracing my steps and not giving up, calling out her name until rain began to pour until the point where I was completely soaked.

Until it was pitch dark and pouring outside, I called her name until my voice was hoarse and my feet ached. Thunder and lightning flashed and crashed, sending child up my spine as I refused to believe it. I looked to see a figure outlined in shadows against the trees.

"Jasmine!" I called out, rushing towards the figure, but I tripped over myself, falling onto my knees into a puddle, reaching out as I fell and something caught my hand. My heart skipped a beat, and I looked up with a look of hope on my tired eyes, only to have my heart drop a thousand feet into darkness.

My cold, dark eyes were met by a gaze equally lifeless, as I stared into the face of a marble angel. My hope faded. An angel had caught my hand, but not the angel I wished for. I found myself in the cold gaze of a statue, with no emotion but hidden pity on her face.

"NO!" I slammed my fist against the stone, pressing myself angrily against the arms of the statue, again and again, showing no sign of relenting. I hit it again and again, as if the anger and pain inside me was enough to break it. Until I felt a strong hand grasp my arm, and try to pull me back.

"Yuki—" Kamijo began, but I pushed him violently away from me, and saw that Kaya and Hizaki were behind him, looking concerned.

Tears stung in my eyes, as I clenched my fists and tried to keep my gaze on the ground, "I…I told you all! I knew we should have stayed here, Kamijo! If we stayed-!" My throat tightened with a sob, and tears started to roll down my cheeks, "If we stayed… Jasmine might still be alive! You bastard!" I screamed, and Kamijo knew better than to try to argue with me. He approached me, though, with his hands up and an earnest look on his face, mixed with sympathy and pity.

"Yuki…" I knew he wanted to say that it was okay, but he knew it wasn't, "Yuki…just… try to calm down…" He put his hands on my shoulders, but I pushed him off again.

"No! Get off of me! How can you expect me to calm down? Y-You have no idea how I feel, Kamijo! I wanted to stay here with Jasmine!"

"This isn't my fault, Yuki. Don't make this about me." Kamijo said sternly.

I coughed, and let out a few sobs before I answered, looking back up at Kamijo, and "It's not about you! It's about Jasmine!" I cried, wiping my face on my sleeve, as the rain continued to fall, "And you, Kaya-! You knew Jasmine was sick, didn't you! Why? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Kamijo reached out for me again, but this time I was done letting him baby me. I smacked him hard, and turned around, "Go away! All of you, leave me alone!"

They must have listened, because when I turned around everyone was gone.

I knelt on the ground, caking my clothes in mud. I put my face in my hands and started to weep, more than I ever had before, more than I ever thought I could cry. I muttered Jasmine's name so many times, never wanting anything other word to pass through my lips except her name. Every time I said it, her beautiful image appeared inside my mind, only making my heart sink faster.

Why hadn't I noticed it before? There were so many signs… She had been growing even more distant and sad during her last days… The way she would look out solemnly to the sky, as if she knew she would be headed there in a few days time. I should have known something was wrong…but I was too happy to have noticed anything. She even made it so obvious as to promise her that nothing awful would ever come between us. So much for that promise…

I stared at the ground for a while longer, and then looked up to the sky.

"Jasmine…Jasmine?" I called out, "Can you hear me? Jasmine! I love you! Jasmine You, Lady of the Purple Roses! Jasmine! Don't leave me! Please…please...don't leave me…" I dropped my gaze again, and remembered something that only made me sob more.

Our wedding was only two days away. And now… that day where we were supposed to have been bonded forever, would be Jasmine's funeral.

Somewhere in the night, I made it back inside the castle. Stalking through the halls slowly, almost cadaverously, I passed Jasmine's room. The door was closed, and I placed my hand against it. Would I ever be able to go into her room again? It was like the memory of her was too much to bear. Just the fact that she was no longer here, put me into a cold, heartless depression that I thought I would never be free from.

The storm raged on outside, as I lay down on my bed. I took a few deep breaths, and felt my heart aching in my cage of a chest. I put my hand over it, and barely expected to feel it beating.

But I felt that way inside, after all. Without Jasmine my heart had no reason to beat.

It felt as if I had died too, but Jasmine had gone off to a better place, and I was stuck here with nothing but her memory.

"Jasmine… if you can hear me… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I broke our promise." I had told Jasmine that any wall that was between us would be surpassed.

I didn't care what it would take. I intended to keep that promise.


	10. Chapter 10

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Ten: Magic

I was lying half asleep on my bed when I heard the door open, and light from the hallway flooded in. I heard Kamijo's voice.

"Wake up, Yuki."

I didn't answer.

"I know you're awake."

I still didn't answer.

"You know what today is, Yuki. Are you—"

"I'm not going." I answered.

"Why not?" He was angry.

I didn't answer.

I heard him come closer, and he threw the blankets off of my body. I had fallen asleep in my clothes, and not left my room since I had heard of Jasmine's death. I felt numb, like my body was just a shell, and I had no heart anymore.

"Dammit, Yuki, get up! You've been in this room for two days straight! Now get up!"

"Leave me alone."

"I've left you alone for the last two days. Now, I know you won't listen to me if I say that it would make you an extreme asshole to stay away from Jasmine's funeral, but I know here's a part of you that wants to go. You're just scared of what will happen, because you keep yourself locked away like this all the time." I tried to tune him out, but I couldn't bring myself to cover my ears or to ignore him.

"Yuki…I know you don't owe me anything… but you surely owe it to Jasmine to go to her funeral. I'm not going to force you to do anything, because it's your choice, but you need to think about what Jasmine would want… I didn't know her that well, but I know that she loved you more than anything, and I know you want to see her one last time, don't you?"

After he said that, I heard him walk away and shut the door.

The Princess stood over the open faced coffin, crying. She gently caressed her sister's cheek, and whispered in a voice broken by tears, "I…I can't bring myself to say goodbye… So… I'll see you later."

I looked at my face in the mirror. Since I had been in the gardens the day I had found out of Jasmine's death, I had changed my mud covered clothes. But since then, I did not change anything about myself. My eyes were bloodshot and tired, stricken with grief. My skin was pale, and my clothes were wrinkled from where I had been lying on my bed for the last two days. I clutched the wrapping paper in my hand, and took in a nervous breath, and pushed open the doors that led out into the gardens.

The gardens looked as beautiful as usually, the flowers were all in bloom. But the scene was dimmed by the group of everyone, draped from head to toe in black, and the coffin in the middle of the gardens. Open.

Everyone turned and stared immediately. Kamijo had a somewhat sad satisfactory look on his face, and the princess looked at me gratefully, but I didn't want to meet her gaze. I had treated them all horribly in my own inner turmoil. I was selfish, and I still was.

Everyone knew that I had come, because I had something to say. I had to give my lamentation, just as all the others had tried to give their own kind words in remembrance of Jasmine. But this was more than just the stereotypical sharing of happy memories to cheer the sorrow of the day. I wouldn't spare them the immense sorrow that plagued my heart; in fact, I was going to share with them every word of it.

"I apologize…that you all have to see me this way…" In my hand, I clutched a bouquet of purple roses. I took a few steps forward, and then swung the bouquet of flowers in my hand across my body, sending purple petals everywhere. It seemed to happen in slow motion, but it felt right. Everyone watched as a downfall of purple petals scattered across the coffin which I was too far from to see inside. But as I took steps forward, my chest tightened and I could see Jasmine's face.

Now half covered in small purple petals, she lay there. Pale and perfect. Her hair looked soft and was pinned up into a small black bonnet with white polka dots and a red rose. Her dress was filled with red and black ruffles, decorated with lace like normally. With her hands folded over her stomach, I saw that she even had her nails done up. They were different when I had left her that day…

Had she really planned for this?

Without realizing it, my eyes were already streaming tears from just the sight of her beauty again, but so cold and lifeless. My heart ached so much, and I wanted to go back and sleep forever. Slowly, I placed what was left of the bouquet into the coffin.

I had tried to gather up all of my feelings into what I planned to say at this moment, and everyone stared at me, awaiting the same thing.

"Your face still… is as beautiful as always." I began, talking to Jasmine as if she were there in spirit, "I'm sure that everyone here loved you more than they thought… We all feel so exhausted and sad now. Through all the happiness that you gave me, I failed to see that you were the exhausted one. Burdened with the sorrows of others, it made you sick," I felt the tears begin to overflow down my cheeks as I muttered what I wish I could have said so long ago, "I'm sorry, for not noticing…"

"With you… I was wrapped up in a feeling of spring. I never wanted to face the burdens and pain that I had given to you to heal me from. When I met you… the beauty and happiness that radiated from your being made me so happy… Without a doubt, I was head over heels in love with you… from the very beginning."

"What you offered to me that day we met…was a smile and a promise of happiness. It was so beautiful, that I gave away to tears now…. But surely, that day… love touched the two of us. We sought after eachother, but lost ourselves at times. We found eachother in the end, though. So whatever result may be waiting for us… our meeting was surely destiny," I looked up at the sky, which was still overcast from the storm earlier, "The sky you set out for…now is shining on me, through the clouds…" I put my hands on the edges of her coffin, and let my tears roll down. They hit her face softly, as I whispered in a broken voice, "Stay by my side, my dear… Though you're crossing over time and changing your shape, don't you see? The future that awaits the two of us, remains right here," I felt my body shaking, as tears flowed uncontrollably, "Stay by my side, please… The future we haven't yet seen remains here. Trust me, my dear...my dear Jasmine You…"

"Leaving an unbearable scar on my heart, you became a star, alone… Goodbye. You've gone to a place where we can no longer meet again. I can't accept the coldness of our eternal parting. But, I wish that I could have heard those last words from you again, that it all would be alright…just once, even if it was a lie…"

I clutched my chest tightly, "Why do you have to do it this way… leaving these memories behind until the very end? This pain…it feels like I'm living in a dream… and I want to awaken from. But then again… living with you gave me such happiness that it felt like a dream as well, and I never wanted to wake up…

"Jasmine, please… if you can hear me… You know… I love you. I loved you all along, and I miss you. You've been far away for far too long. I keep dreaming that you'll be with me and you'll never go… With you, I'd go through hell just to have you with me…to hold your hand… But I've already gone through hell without you here. I'll give it all up for us, you know… I loved you all along, and I miss you so much… But I can never have it the way I wanted…"

I reached inside the coffin to hold Jasmine's hand. "One of the last times I heard your beautiful voice… you said to me, 'no matter how high the walls may be, let's surpass them together.' We made a promise, didn't we, Jasmine? Why aren't you here anymore…? It's so unfair… Jasmine… I hope you know that every day I was able to spend with you were the happiest days of my life. I had never been around someone as beautiful and kind as you, and your radiance had convinced me to release my fears. I'm so sorry… that I wasn't able to keep my promise… But, if one day…I am able to see you, I want to say…

That no matter how high the walls were, we tried our best to surpass them, didn't we?" I leaned closer to her beautiful face, and laid a kiss to her cold lips. Tears still rolled off my cheeks onto hers, as I whispered, "Thank you…so much, Jasmine. You… you can sleep peacefully now. And I will learn to walk on my own again…"

I turned away from her, and started to walk away. I felt the eyes of everyone on my back, and turned to say the last thing I wanted to. I turned back to Jasmine, and tried to smile, but it only made more tears flow.

"Trust me… my love. You will forever live within my heart… So I shall never say goodbye to you."

I turned back again, and walked down the pathway towards the castle. But suddenly, I had felt warmth on my back, as the sun was suddenly released from behind the dark clouds. I heard everyone gasp, and some turned to me asking, 'what is this?'

I couldn't keep myself from smiling. Jasmine was here. Whether it was her emerging from behind the clouds to smile at us, or whether he was hiding behind blades of grass, it was so obvious.

"It's Jasmine magic."


	11. Chapter 11

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Chapter Eleven: Message

The rain had lasted days, so many days right after Jasmine's funeral. I don't think I could remember how the sky looked now. Directly after we had seen the sun on the day of Jasmine's funeral, darker clouds than I had ever seen covered the sky and it began to rain, and rain, and rain.

I studied the cracks and chips in the wood of the door to Jasmine's room. I had been standing there for about ten minutes, pretending to find the façade of it interesting to give myself a reason not to enter. This was the last thing keeping me from my hopes of closure, so it had to be done. Whether I was ready to do it or not.

I put my hand on the doorknob, as slowly as I possibly could; I turned it and gently pushed it open.

First, I smelled roses. Then a mix of scented candles and incense. The entire room was covered in dark and light purple drapes, and every surface that had enough room was graced with a vase of roses of all different colors, though mostly purple. Along with the roses, there were multiple jewelry boxes that were decorated with rhinestones and beautiful fabrics. The entire room was beautiful, and just as if it was the contents of Jasmine's lovely soul. The color, the scents, everything about it was like her.

And it hurt so much.

I clutched my chest, feeling as if my heart was crumbling to dust.

Slowly, I sat down on her bed. The soft purple fabric was comforting. But there was no amount of roses or purple clothing that could bring her back.

I stood up, and ran my hands across the surfaces of her room, feeling all the fabrics, the roses and the cold glass cases of the empty bottles of perfume that she collected. I reached her closet, and opened the door to it, to see all of her beautiful dresses. I had seen her wear all of them before. The only one I had never seen was… the red and black dress she was wearing in the coffin at her funeral. Why did I never see it before then?

Could it be…? She had saved that specific dress for the moment of her death…?

My heart ached, and I could surely feel what little fragments of my heart I had left breaking apart.

As I approached her writing desk, I ran my hands across the necklaces that she had hanging from a glass ornament shaped as a rose. It was then, that my eyes caught the sight of a folded piece of paper sitting at the desk, with a word written across it in ornate script.

"Yuki."

I gasped, and reached out for it instinctively. There was no doubt, it was Jasmine's handwriting. With my heart beating fast, I unfolded the letter.

_My Dearest Yuki,_

_ I can do nothing except apologize firstly, for all the pain that I have caused you. But before I say anything else, please know that no matter what happens to me, I will love you forever. Yuki, I am truly sorry for leaving you in such a sudden and painful fashion. Though, there was nothing I could do to prevent this. I understand that you were worried, and didn't want to leave my side. I apologize again for encouraging you to leave. I had hoped to… remain here for the time of your return, but as it would seem, fate works in strange ways. I am truly sorry that you had to find out this way. _

_ One other request I have, is that you do not blame yourself. I know you noticed my despair, but it was never once cased by you. In fact, if not for you, my untimely death would have most likely occurred much sooner. Yuki, you gave me back the life I had been missing after the death of my parents. But as it seems, it was my time to die, and your time to live. Please don't even for one moment blame this on yourself. Also, do not blame Kaya for refraining from telling you about my sickness. I had advised her to do so. I confided in her for the most part, and she was the only other person who knew that my death was imminent. Yuki, I love you. I will, forever. _

_ I can understand the loneliness you are feeling now, because I have experienced it myself. But, you must keep on living. I want all my joy and happiness to live on through you, and I know that you can d that. Now, my beloved, my time is short. But if ever you begin to doubt yourself or my love, and feel lonely, just know this._

_ No matter how far apart we have been separated from one another, the sky continues on everywhere. So, during heartbreaking times, emotionally painful times, sad times, and even happy times, I am always near you. _

_Never forget that. _

_I will always watch over you, Yuki. _

_ Jasmine You~_


	12. Epilogue

Jumon no Murasaki Bara

Epilogue

Yuki's Journal

Autumn and winter had come and gone. The seasons barely seemed to exist these days to me. Cold, warmth, any summer breeze or winter snowfall was so distant that I barely took any notice at all.

Many things had occurred after my encounter in Jasmine's room. The princess and prince had allowed Kamijo and I to remain at the castle. We lived there now, almost a year after the death of my beloved Jasmine. So many things had changed, and yet so many had stayed the same. For one, I could feel my heart closing off to the world. I knew I would never love again and for that reason I could never bring myself to leave this place. Every day I would go into the garden and take Jasmine's place as she would always do the same. It seemed now as if I was doing it for her, rather than in remembrance of her.

I would never bring myself to terms with her death. Whether or not I could have helped her, there was no going back, though I longed for it every day to go back to the time where we had met. There would never be any way for me to accept the coldness of the parting between us. I had heard it said that leaving is easy, but leaving those you love behind is the most difficult thing in the world. I wondered if Jasmine could feel that wherever she was. I wondered if she was still watching over me like she had said. Even now, I continued to wonder if I would ever find the answer to those questions.

The days continued to pass without my noticing. Time seemed at a halt without Jasmine. Though I was very good at carrying on through the days without showing my sorrow. Forcing smiles and acting as If though there wasn't a hole in my heart. In honor to Jasmine's wishes for me I began keeping a journal, just as she had done. I knew she was right, and I had started it as soon as I had left her room that fateful day. It seemed to me that if I didn't record the past, I would forget it. Though I would never forget her, I could feel myself fading away into blackness that I could not control. If I wrote my feelings like this, then maybe I could retrieve some of myself.

One day, I was lying on the marble bench where Jasmine and I had our first encounter together, it was where we always sat and talked. It was where my memory of her was strongest. In this garden I could feel her presence. I sat here and wrote in my journal, the last entry I ever planned to write. I was going to leave this journal here in the garden, and put it beneath the rose bushes that Jasmine and I loved dearly, as if it would show her these words of my soul. But my heart is tired and I feel no more will to write like this. So, I planned to send it all away, and to hopefully release this sadness in my heart.

Perhaps if I tried hard enough, I could fill this space in my heart with a bush of purple roses.

So, as I lay here writing this last entry of mine, I sigh as the sun hits my face. The warmth of the love Jasmine had for everyone shone on my pale cheeks. I would never forget her love of the sky, and how she is now part of it. I closed my eyes again, and opened them to see something marvelous. A small and fragile butterfly with wings the color of these violet roses around me flew across my vision gently. It didn't stop, but only flew once across my sight and up towards the blue sky and sun above.

I felt my heart beat with an impossible longing. As I recalled my first conversation with Jasmine. She had told me that I was "caught in the spell of the purple rose." I believed those words more than ever now.

I was caught in the spell of the purple rose Jasmine, and in it forever I would remain.


End file.
